"Grant had been unwell for some time and his passing is very sad,'' said Mr Finlayson.

"It is impossible in a press release to list all his achievements in the theatre. He was one of a small group of people who formed Circa Theatre in 1976 and built it into its pre-eminent position today,'' he said in a statement.

"My thoughts are with his family, his old friends at Circa and the theatre community.''